The universe as we know it may not be the only one in existence. In fact, it could be one of a number of parallel universes making up a ‘multiverse.’

In this scenario, there could be multiple versions of you in different universes – ones doing exactly the same thing, and others where your 'twin' has made completely different life choices.

It may be stretching the imagination, but theory has gained traction following the major discovery of gravitational waves on Monday.

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The discovery of these gravitational waves could solidify the idea that our young universe went through inflation. That theory is linked to the idea that the universe is constantly giving birth to different, parallel universes

Earlier this week, astronomers detected what happened in the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang.

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This very brief moment of time at the beginning of everything is when the universe expanded very rapidly - a theory called cosmic inflation.

According to Albert Einstein when something very explosive like this happens it leaves ripples in space-time known as 'gravitational waves'.

Gravitational waves from cosmic inflation generate a faint but distinctive twisting pattern in the universe. Shown here is the pattern observed with the Bicep2 telescope, providing what was thought at the time to be evidence for cosmic inflation after the Big Bang. The results have now been called into question

This graphic shows the universe as it evolved from the Big Bang to now. Nasa scientists believe that the universe expanded from subatomic scales to the astronomical in just a fraction of a second after its birth

HOW DO GRAVITATIONAL WAVES POINT TO PARALLEL UNIVERSES?

Astronomers announced on Monday that they ripples in the fabric of space-time that are echoes of the massive expansion of the universe after the Big Bang.

Predicted by Albert Einstein nearly a century ago, the discovery of the ripples, called gravitational waves, would be a crowning achievement the understanding of how the universe began and evolved.

The ‘multiverse’ theory is based on the fact that these gravitational wave point to a particularly powerful type of inflation of the early universe.

In some regions of physical reality inflation, continues and in others it stops. In the regions where it has stopped someone looking back on this time would see a 'bang' - the birth of their universe.

The ‘multiverse’ theory is based on the fact that these primordial gravitational wave point to a particularly powerful type of inflation of the early universe.

‘In most models, if you have inflation, then you have a multiverse,’ said Stanford physicist Andrei Linde speaking at a conference on Monday.

Theorists argue that every kind of universe is out there in the aftermath of the Big Bang, from our familiar universe to universes that have completely different physical properties.

'When it comes to inflation, universes beyond our own come wrapped up as part of the package – what we see as our universe is what remained after inflation ceased in this part of reality,' Colin Stuart, author of 'The Big Questions in Science', told MailOnline.

'What's just been found is “a smoking
gun” for inflation – the most concrete evidence we have to date that it
actually happened. So the multiverse is looking more likely than ever.'

Scientists, from left, Clem Pryke, Jamie Bock, Chao-Lin Kuo and John Kovac smile during a news conference at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge to announced their groundbreaking results on gravitational waves in March

WHAT IS THE MULTIVERSE THEORY?

The term ‘multiverse’ was invented in December 1960, by Andy Nimmo, then vice chairman of the British Interplanetary Society.

It is based on the theory of eternal inflation, which suggests that shortly after the Big Bang that formed the universe, space-time expanded at different rates in different places.

According to eternal inflation theory, this gave rise to bubble universes that may function with their own separate laws of physics.

The idea of other universes out there may seem strange, but scientists say it can help solve some problems of fundamental physics.

For instance, the long-standing mystery of why nature appears to be fine-tuned for the emergence of life can be explained by the picture of a multiverse.

Some scientists argue that intelligent observers exist only in those rare areas in which the conditions happen to be just right for life to evolve. The rest of the multiverse remains barren, but no one is there to notice it.

Another multiverse theory suggests that if space-time goes on forever, it must start repeating at some point, because there are a
finite number of ways particles can be arranged.

The multiverse theory could explain a number of processes that have stumped cosmologists for years.

For example, there is the 1998 discovery that galaxies in our universe seem to be spreading apart at an accelerating rate.

This goes against the rule that mutual gravitational attraction should be slowing them down. If there were multiverses, our universe may happen to be one in which the dark energy is relatively weak.

It could also resolve the dilemma in ‘superstring’ theory. At its most basic level, describes all subatomic particles as vibrating filaments and membranes of energy.

The string theory only works in ten or eleven dimensions.

'Such a multiverse might even explain the very reason we exist at all,' said Mr Stuart.'The natural forces at work in our universe, like gravity, for example, seem strangely fined tuned for life.

Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes

'In fact, if the number of other universes
is infinite, there are an infinite number of copies of Earth out there,
with an infinite number of copies of you, reading an infinite number of
identical versions of this article.'

'Tinker with the settings of nature even slightly and that creates a universe devoid of stars, planets and people. How come all the settings are perfectly suited for living things?

'It seems an extremely unlikely coincidence. However, if there really are a multitude of other universes out there, each with their own settings, at least one of them will have the right settings for life.

'Our existence moves from being highly improbable to inevitable. In fact, if the number of other universes is infinite, there are an infinite number of copies of Earth out there, with an infinite number of copies of you, reading an infinite number of identical versions of this article.'

Last year, scientists were able to create a map of light from when the universe was just 380,000 years old

Last year, scientists said that they had found the first 'hard evidence' that other universes exist.

Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes.

The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe - known as cosmic microwave radiation.

Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a 'cold spot' that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics.

Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina, said: ‘These anomalies were caused by other universes pulling on our universe as it formed during the Big Bang.’

A multiverse could resolve the dilemma in 'superstring' theory. At its most basic level, the theory describes all subatomic particles as vibrating filaments and membranes of energy. But string theory only works in ten or eleven dimensions and we only experience four